Improving the wet traction ability of a tire is an important goal in the tire manufacturing industry. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,327,952; 5,358,022; and 5,386,862, all to Glover et al., disclose variations on a design for making a pneumatic tire having improved wet traction. In the Glover patents, a deep centrally located circumferential groove, denoted as an annular aqua channel, directs water in combination with transverse groove, from the footprint of the tire to it's shoulder area to prevent hydroplaning. As seen by the large size of the circumferential groove and large number traverse grooves in these patents, there is a large amount of void in these treads, i.e., the ratio of tread to groove. While an increase in void usually improves wet performance, the tread elements of the tire may be scrubbed away at a relatively fast rate. Thus, in a short amount of time, a tire as disclosed in the Glover patents, may soon lose its ability to reliably avoid hydroplaning. Additionally, due to the large number of points at which the transverse grooves intersect the circumferential groove, or aqua channel in the Glover patents, there is a large amount of turbulence, i.e., eddy currents, due to the intersections of different flows having varying flow characteristics such as direction and velocity. The turbulence interferes with the ability of the tire to optimally evacuate the water in the grooves.
Thus, the need exists for a tire having comparatively less void for commensurately better wear, and a decrease in turbulence at the points in which the circumferential and transverse grooves meet, for commensurately better water evacuation.